An AICN Anime Special Report... Neon Genesis Evengelion live action feature film coming from WETA

Father Geek here with some especially tasty news for all fans of Anime & Manga, as well as fans of Science Fiction and the Phantastic. Superhero fans should fall in line for this one also... Its a great project and its coming out of a outstanding effects house... I can't wait for this one...

The Breaking News...

ADV Films, who released the Neon Genesis Evengelion anime
series in the US has announced that they are working
with the series producer Gainax and the great digital effects
company Weta Workshop, Ltd. to produce a live action
feature film based on the longlived series.

"The three main players here represent something of a
'dream-team' for a project like this one," said ADV
Films President and CEO John Ledford . "Between the
quality and significance of the Gainax title, Weta's
industry-leading skill in the creation of special
visual effects, and our expertise in the marketing and
promotion of anime and anime-related content, this
project is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

The Story...

"Neon Genesis Evangelion" is the story of a reluctant
young hero, called upon to pilot an immense robotic
weapon in battle against hordes of Alien Invaders.

Including both
a 26-episode television series and at least two
animated motion pictures to draw upon, "Neon Genesis Evangelion" has
long been both a fan favorite and an extraordinary,
universal critical and commercial success, with the worldwide
franchise producing many millions of dollars in revenue for its various distributers.

The Timetable...

The "Neon Genesis Evangelion" live-action motion
picture is now in the earliest stages of its development.
CEO Ledford has confirmed, however, that the project's timetable is an
"aggressive one", and that more information on the
futuristic fanasy film is forthcoming soon.

This is horseshit. Do they have any idea how much it will cost to realize a live action movie? Stephen Norrington's live action version of AKIRA would cost upwards of $150 million - hence why it was scrapped or still in development hell. I prefer Neon Genesis Evangelion in its animated form - cheaper and not so hokey. I hate live action video game adaptions and now I hate live action anime adaptions...

Do they mean regular live-action or like: World of Tommorrow live-action? I could see Weta making this an animated film with real actors. In any case, it won't be a real adaptation because NO ONE would make this film and hope to be commercially viable without removing practically all of the religious symbolism, subtext and just plain text that made the show what it is. It'll be just a mecha-film. Which admittedly hasn't really been done before in such a fashion.

Of course ILM is doing the effects on Dragon Ball Z and that'll probably suck, so just knowing WETA is working on the effects doesnt ensure it'll be good, but with GAINAX behind it as well, I am crossing my fingers. Hopefully Anno is involved heavily in it, if so this could turn out to be one of the best sci-fi movies ever made as the series is nothing short of a masterpiece.

There is no way they will get a 26-episode-plus-movie animated series into a two-hour-long live action movie and not have it look and feel like complete shit. What the fuck is wrong with these people? Don't they have any original ideas? Can't they throw some money at that moron Miike and have him jerk off into a wad of bills or something? Christ, what a fucking waste of time and cash.

This will not be a movie that tries to cram a 26 episode anything into a 2-hour movie. Did the Spider-Man movie try to cram 500 comic books into one flick? Did the X-Men flick? Did anything? They will take a story from the arc, modify it and then have a movie. Will it suck? Maybe, but it has a better starting point than a lot of the dreck released upon the public.

I heard from a source inside Lucasfilm (and don't ask who, because she'll lose her job!) that not only will Chewbacca be in Episode III, but so will a very young Han Solo, who turns out to be the natural son of Bail Antilles, the stepbrother of Bail Organa, who as we all know, raises Leia. Then, we find out that Lando is actually Captain Panaka's son and the nephew of Mace Windu, who, in a major plot twist, reveals himself to be the one who built R2-D2. Jabba the Hutt turns out to be Jango Fett's godfather (which is why Boba works for him and hangs out at his palace); and Anakin learns he is a younger clone of Count Dooku, making Dooku his "father!" Shmi wasn't his real mother at all, but instead the mother of Obi-Wan, who has an affair with one of Padme's handmaidens, who gives birth to Wedge. In the end, the Death Star blows up Naboo and Geonosis; and when the planetary fragments collide, they form the planet Hoth, thus revealing the Death Star to be its father.

So, McCere, instead of making ONE shitty-looking, badly-paced, redundant CGI Eva movie, they should make, say, three or four shitty-looking, badly-paved, redundant CGI Eva movies? Listen up, fanboys and "film"-makers alike: remakes are not supposed to happen just because you happen to "really like" the original. They're supposed to happen when there is a need for them, when filmmakers put a whole new spin on a movie, when they really do re-make an idea and present it to you as a fresh and different and equally valid concept. A live-action Eva movie does not fall into that category. It falls into the category of "hey look, this was a cartoon, let's make a live-action version and market it to the people who don't watch cartoons." It's not a new idea. It's not even really a new medium. It is a wretchedly stupid idea, and if there is a God of Films he will shit all over it. Tragically, I lost all faith in such a deity when Ashton Kutcher became a star. God's mercy on you swine.

Well---WETA will recreate a sequence where some woman randomly decides to masturbate in the middle of the street while onlookers laugh and cheer. At the moment of climax her vagina grows to 100 times its normal size and one of the onlookers turns into a huge octopus with phallically shaped tentacles to induce a multiple. All the while onlookers are covered in fem-juice while continuing to laugh. Those Japanese are some sick mofos. I don't understand that shit. Can WETA pull it off? WTF?

FezMonkey's Prediction: Ordinarily I would predict a straightup action movie starring talentless twentysomethings sure to rake in decent money. However, GAINAX's personal involvement and WETA's skill combine to create my prediction: If this film ever gets made, it will be a thoughtful, butt-kicking epic that will knock geeks out of their seats and induce a mild anime fad in the rest of the public which will get extensively covered in the mainstream news, killing the fad about a year and a half after the movie is released.

My goodness. I saw this report and went... WHAT?!?! Come on, people. This will be a bastardization of an experimental anime that wasn't even supposed to get this popular. NGE is the BIGGEST mindfuck in the history of Japanese Animation. There's no chance that this movie will make money because it'll never get to the biggest market for a movie, the United States of America. Why? It's the fecking religous symbolisim, the questionable plot (what is it, Shinji's nuts, or the world ends, or WHAT THE hell is the ending this week? (because the animators want more of our money)). I'm sick and tired of all the attention this series gets. It's not that fragging special. If any anime deserves the live treatment, it's Rouroni Kenshin. Or perhaps a REALLY WELL DONE Mobile Suit Gundam. Or even Alita. I'm sick of the weird ass titles getting all the attention! What's next? A frigging live action Sailor Moon??? I'd like to see WETA get that project through that licencing hell. Welcome. TRY AND CATCH ME, BIATCHES!!!

...in all seriousness. With the right storyarc, a few modifications on age of the characters (make them 16 and have them played by 18 year olds so that nobody throws a fit over the skin tight suits,) cast a few unknowns, find out whatever the hell Lucas did with his CGI crap and avoid it, infuse a little attitude of Matrix by inserting philosophy between kick-ass action, tone down the whining of Shinji, change Shinji's name to make him more accessable, and you've got yourself a good Eva-like movie. Sure, it isn't exactly the same, that's why it's an ADAPTATION, jackasses. Spider-Man, X-Men, Hulk - all of these ADAPTED, and all (well, not Hulk, let's not count that one yet) are all major successes. Heck, even Daredevil was a success by commercial means. Can this work? Yes. Now we just need a visionary of a director and a killer orchestrated score - TAKE YOUR TIME WITH IT AND SCREW YOUR "AGRESSIVE SCHEDULE" AND JUST GET IT RIGHT - and we'll survive.

Of course you know, your plan will have every Anime fanboy purist from here to Tokyo calling for the heads of everyone involved if your plan is inacted. It has to be so close to dead-on to please everyone. And if it is dead on, it'll be one of the strangest movies ever. You really think this'll work? It's okay to dream, kid. But look at the series closer and you'll realize why stuff like this just doesn't go off well. NGE will fail. Not because of the people working on it, but the subject matter itself.

Don't get me wrong--NGE's great. Hopefully the movie will work. But forget all that egghead/philosopical high-concept-anime stuff--I think Outlanders should be made into a live action flick instead! Picture it: Britney Spears as Princess Kahm; Freddie Prinze Jr. as Wakatsuki Tetsuya; Fairuza Balk as Battia Rou; let WETA CGI Geobaldi along with the rest of the SFX and stick Roland Emmerich or Michael Bay (I'd go with Bay if you can get him) in the director's chair. Let Dean Devlin write the damn thing, too. I'm dead serious here, people; that shit would 0wn the box office! Search your feelings, Luke, you *know* this to be true. Toppu o Nerae!

There are SOO many fucking losers out there that jump on the bandwagon when it comes to 'superior' anime titles. Yes Evangelion is one of the most detailed and vivid stories ever produced.. but Most folks have never even seen the whole series in its entirity, uncut, unedited, original intent of dialogue intact. You know why? Because its also the MOST FUCKING DEPRESSING ANIME EVER RELEASED IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND!! It makes Akira seem joyous by comparison. CHRIST PEOPLE?!?!? The main character isn't just "reluctant".. hes a repressed psychotic who suffers emotional breaks that allow him to perform and fight outsight the envelope!! He masterbates on her face while shes laying in a coma in the hospital!! The Angels later RIP her from her EVA and devour her along WITH her EVA.. EVERYONE DIES except him!! And when he ends up being in the middle of the coalessed spirit energy of all life on earth, and unknowingly has the power to make ANYTHING happen as hes dying.. he simply wishes the he and she were back on earth, together, forever. And guess what..?? HE GETS HIS WISH.. REALITY IS CHANGED.. she is brought back to life.. and they are back on earth, but every living thing besides them is still dead, with the monstrously HUGE body of the previously revived Angel Prime rotting in the ocean filling the worlds waters with its blood.. they lie on the beach.. and the boy realizes what he hass done.. hes fucked up YET AGAIN... and so he tries to strangle her while she's unconsious.. so she wont wake up and see what hes done.. only she wakes up, knocks him off of her, and while he lies there sobbing like a baby yet AGAIN (HE does this alot in the series, as hes an emotional trainwreck), she looks around, sees all the devestation, as the float and are somehow alive on a planet no longer containing an atmosphere, oceans of blood, totally alone.. and she simply says "This fucking sucks" --- My thoughts exactly.. the series was increadible.. and totally depressing. There is NO FUCKING WAY they can make a movie of this.

Look! They are already describing the angels as 'alien invaders'! What tha' fuck!? They are going to make a water down version of the series just like the Cartoon Network did to show it during Toonami! Cartoon Network raped Evangelion!

American Movie studios CANNOT do justice to this series.
It has a unique philosophy based and no way will Hollywood write true to form. They will be afraid of American mainstream audiences.
A number of things they will avoid like the plague which is the heart of the series.
It will be f**cked.

I've never heard NGE summed up so well. I've read a lot of stuff and still been confused, but that really cleared End of Evangelion up. - I'd love to watch a live-action NGE, but I don't think anyone is going to pull it off because, as we all know, the subject matter is just not accessible to most moviegoers. And dumbing it down will ruin the whole experience.

None the less if you where to view this film as something independant, you might find it good.
However I think I would prefer another animefilm version of NGE
Anime, has the advantage that years later the film does not appear to be old. Whereas 5 years from now, we will look at todays films, and probably laugh at the CG.
Anyway I agree with most people's point of view, that this will probably not work (or be close to the original)

Well not to make up my mind before they've done anything, but I'm floored by the idea of a live action Evangelion. The movies and the series were a complete mind fuck! They really think they can turn that into a successful commercial franchise? That's like someone saying "hey, I liked 2001, lets make it into a money-making series!" Oh wait, they sorta tried that with 2010. Well anyway, I still think it's a long shot. Something like this you don't make for the wrong reasons, and it sounds like that's what they're doing. And think about what it boils down to. Giant robots demolishing Tokyo? Isn't the miracle that the series wasn't corny part of the appeal? Isn't that going to be pretty damned hard to replicate, even with a ton of special effects and a really committed Hollywood producer or two? I'm at least fascinated by the attempt. It's either insanely brilliant or insanely stupid. I refuse to make up my mind now, but I know others won't be giving the benefit of the doubt.

...that's so
odd. i'll admit that it seems like an intereting project and the graphics companies are hot. and i'd go see it just to see what it'd be like. but EVA live action? Neon Genesis Evangelion live action. I just...wow. live action. my brain hurts. sorta like it did when i finished watching Life and Rebirth.

just look at rocky and bullwinkle, scooby doo, dudley do right and daredevevil (i know thats comic book to live action but still) there are certain things that just cant be epress in live action. thats why animation was invented. why does every single movie that comes out now have to be a remake of somthing else?

This was an absolutely harsh and unforgiving Anime.. but probably the best over-all I ahve ever seen. ANYONE calling it a 'mindfuck' is just jumping on the bandwagon, as that doesnt even come close. They simply don't make things like this, not before, and not since.

I've actually been day dreaming about something like this for quite some time now... and I hope it gets done and done in a brilliant way. Hey! maybe it will be another trilogy (they seem to be quite fashionable nowadays).
I hope it will rule and have great special effects and although the end needs to be adapted (since I doubt the average person would actually understand the meaning) but as long as they keep it in the same line... it's cool..
And LargoJr... Actually... in the end of Evangelion... the body of Lilith isn't poluting the ocean with it's blood... it the sea of LCL where all life comes from, AND... the girl doesn't look around. She's lying on the sand... and says "I feel sick" and not "This fucking sucks" (you either don't know what you're talking about or you have a really crappy translation version). And she feels sicks for several reasons. One is that she could be pregnant (since Shinji and her are now the new Adam and Eve), or she could be sick because of the experience that just happened (end of the world) OR... she could be sick simply because she's a genetic mix of Rei and the german girl (don't remember her name now).
By the way... has the Akira live action movie really been cancelled like someone said in a post?

That would totally kick so much ass. They have tons of source material to work from and huge, epic mobile suit battles would look amazing on the big screen. Gundam 083 or Gundam Wing would be my choice. They have excellent storylines. Great takes on the philosophies of war and friendship. There really hasn't been a good mech action movie ever. And there's nothing I'd like to see more than Wing Zero unleashing hell in live action. Suit up!!!!!

The only way anyone could hope to pull this off is to make EVA a franchise. This is basically the sole redeeming factor of making comics or manga into films--that being the potential for a lot of different stories. While I see Largo Jr.'s point about the religious symbolism/depressing factor, I'm willing to bet that enough changes can be made, while maintaining the integrity of the story. If you don't believe me, go back and look at all the posts of idiots who thought organic webshooters were the end of Western Civilization as we knew it.

there's no way they're encapsulating the entire animated series and movie into one 2 or 3hr fx live-action gobfest. So we're either looking at another 'trilogy', or a limp, abbreviated adaption that will be nothing at all like the series.
And I agree, it'd be nice to know if the Akira live-action project got cancelled after any uproarious backlash from fans.

...since those three companies by themselves have neither the finances nor the expertise to produce a big-budget blockbuster on their own. I'll wait until an actual film studio signs on board before I either start anticipating or dreading it. Geez... the Anime Channel and now this... does ADV like bleeding money? ________________________________ In terms of anime-realted things I am anticipating, the CLAMP women have produced a new manga series called TSUBASA RESEVOIR CHRONICLES featuring teenage versions of Syaoran Li and Sakura Kinomoto plus some other characters from CARDCAPTOR SAKURA (and a couple of other CLAMP manga) in a complete alternate universe fantasy setting. See here for more info: http://www.jupiterstar.com/

Well Comic Books to Live action can work, as is evident to the recent string of successful Marvel Movies we've had in recent years, now Cartoons to live action, that's just wrong. Especially pure cartoons. They just don't have the same kind of trancending potential that superheroe comics have.

How in the world are they going to condense a 26 Episode series into a bloody two or three hour movie? This is going to be the most butchered movie ever... Don't ruin what is considered by many the greatest Anime series of all time. Please, do not make this movie. Just pay the creator a bunch of money to make a anime prequel. That will satisfy fans and make a heck of a lot of money.

Especially if they try and jam EVERYTHING into one movie. Christ, it will make X/1999's movie look coherent by comparison! Meanwhile, I'll keep hoping they find someone with the balls to make a Hollywood financed live action LAIN movie, with Daveigh Chase as the star. That would fucking rock to see her just sitting and staring in a bunny suit for minutes on end, as the audiences eyes glaze over and start complaining about having to follow such deep philosophical shit...

I have mixed feelings about the entire thing. I think that with the proper guidance from Studio GAINAX that the Eva movie could turnout alright. As someone mentioned before you would have to take one part of the story, probably the very beginning for the first movie, and use that for the movie. Depending on the success of the initial movie, possible sequels could be made. The big problem is how do you make the movie so that it appeases the hardcore fans, and also appeals to the average movie goer? I think how they answer this question is what will make the movie sink or swim.
For those of you who have never fully understood the End of Evangelion or anything else that has to do with Eva, do not listen to LargoJr. He has some of his information mixed up, and I don't want you guys to get the wrong info. If you really want to know the truth about Eva you should check out http://www.evaotaku.com/. The guy who runs this site is not only a diehard Eva fan, but he also backs up his answers in his Eva FAQ with citations from Eva source material. If you don't find the answers you need on his page give him an e-mail and he will gladly answer your questions. I have e-mailed him before and he is a very nice guy. Hope this helps some of you.
P.S. No offense LargoJr.

This is just a thought, this is just an idea from some crazed vancouver film student but in my eyes I think robotech deserves first shot at the wide screen.
That aside, EVA has WAY too much to deal with even on a basic level because the story is biblically driven and North American audiences dont want to watch something on a fictional basis when the story is driven by that material. The cartoon network as mentioned above had to water down most of the dialogue sequences and story elements for the younger viewer to even digest with out mom and dad calling up the network asking them what right they have to repackage sunday morning mass in an exoskeleton and a neurotic child.
If EVA is done, if it is going to be seriously attempted then it has to be A TOTALLY NEW STORY LINE. Possibly a prequel to the EVA series much like macross zero. Another problem they will have is past reference from educated fans and the new fans they will create who will thirst for more EVA, run out and buy the series only to find themselves pissing their pants because the cartoon infront of them is leagues deeper in alagorical and inherent meaning then the 35mm monster they had just seen at their cineplex.
I mean it is a great idea with potential but with the current trend of hollywood extending the financial claws into every possible script material resource..cough,cough COMICS, cough it was only a matter of time before anime found hollywood knocking on it's doors.

HELL YEAH! Totally agree with Atherium on that one. Better yet, Macross Plus is just begging to be made and the bugget won't be rediculous since there isn't that many 'bots flying around. Good, non-protentious romantic sci-fi with a lil robotic fatal attraction to spice things up.... And whoever suggested Lain... the last thing we need is another What Dreams May Come with creepy lil brats to totally destroy any chance of future mainstream anime adaptation.

One, they could very well come up with a good script. Maybe. But don't forget, to mainstream Eva, it might very well become an 'Eva' movie, ie no Angels and such, just the mechas battling whatever alien, monster (Unit 01 vs. Godzilla anyone?), etc etc (in which case otaku will crucify all involved, and perhaps their families).
Second... I simply cannot see this turning out well, at least not visually. And I'm not even that big a fan of the series, but God... that's a tough job, making it look remotely similar to the series AND real. If they pull it off though , I think it will blow the CG for LOTR out of the water.

It could happen if they had enough money, I mean if they make it there are plenty of Eva fans out there willing to watch it. It would raise alot of money if they made it but the thing is, it costs too much.

Well, Anno's been experimenting a lot more with live action recently (including in End of Eva itself, if you recall), so assuming they've got him onboard (and lord help the project if they don't) it won't be that much of a stretch. Personally I'm hoping that this won't be a remake so much as an expansion, much like what they did with the Cowboy Bebop flick... in my sad masturbatory dreams that'd be the story behind Second Impact (which was the whole armageddon thing only partially explained in the series itself), but if they do go that route it'll more likely be a sort of "side story" to the main arc. If they DON'T go that route and try for a full remake, holy shit will they have an uphill battle. Yeah, good luck cramming all kinds of religious symbolism and psychological introspection in-between the robot fights, guys; you try for that and you'll end up cutting way too many corners and lose either the hardcore fans or the main public. Eh, I don't know. This thing's clearly in its infancy, so it could go in any number of directions from here. ALSO: for the love of god, folks, don't let this talkback descend into goddamn casting suggestions.

Hello.
Old time Anime fan here.....liked Macross before it was Robotech.....4th generation hand me down VHS copies in an old comic book store in Detroit in 83-84.........anyhow.......Evangelion has always just got past me.......never seen it, don't own it.....etc.....always figured it would be somthing I'd catch up to after all the versions and editions and etc were done in a couple of years.
But I'm dying to know, was there REALLY a sceen in it where some guy Bukkake's a girls face as she lays in a hospital bed? How the F did ADV get that on their DVD's?
Yub Yub

[Scratches head]. Only time will tell. Oh wait, the three fuckin' days that it's been the primary headline in the Cool News section counts as time, doesn't it? Throw WETA into the mix, and AICN's got a new movie to pay lip service to. Maybe if they ask real nice they'll get statues of super cool robots.

I'm a bitter man...but I would like to see less bias (I know, I know, if you want OBJECTIVITY, you're in the wrong place. This is a RENEGADE movie site, not some pussy newspaper section) when covering upcoming movies. I don't wanna hear for the next 18 months that you guys can't wait to see what WETA's doing with 'Neon Genesis Evangelion.' Then again, your choice.

i hte this idea as much as anyone (the Frankie thing) but it will prolly happen. I wonder if these means James Cameron will jump on since he did mention this, but he would prolly be busy with battle angel. As for Rei i think Azure Skye (or howver you speell it) could pull it off. Asuka i am not sure really.

(Also that was a pretty misleading, and ULTRA simplified description of EVA in the article. Makes it sound like countless other anime series.) For one thing unless Gainax has total control this movie won't work. It can't work. I don't think that anyone in the world even gets everything in Eva becides the guys at Gainax. They can't have someone else, especially an American, doing their shortened interpretation, of one of the deepest, and to a lot of people confusing, Japanese animation series ever made.

Apparently people on this talkback have already crunched the numbers on the potential earnings and decided it's not worth it, so just scrap all your plans. Those days all you fuckers spend doing research could be reduced to 10 minutes it takes to read this talkback and all problems will be solved. Anyway, EVA had a great plot (maybe the best anime plot i've ever seen outside of akira) but the fact is it was boring as all hell and the ending sucked. the design on the robots though .... off tha hook, so there's room for improvement if they make a live action, and i'd like to see it. also make the main character less of a fancy boy so he's actually a little likeable. keep the penguin, and the drunk broad. keep the design, just have more fighting. Or, to make people on this talkback happy, make a sequel to the hours and throw in cate blanchett for good measure to make sure the estrogen count is nice and high.

I have to say something to those who think they can't squeeze the whole story into a 2 hour movie, WATCH THAT SHIT AGAIN, and this time pay some fucking attention! The premise of the whole series kicks ass, but maybe you didn't notice that half of every episode was Kenji whining along with random shots of landscape, then some other philosophical bullshit, capped off with 30 WHOLE SECONDS of actual combat! Fuck splitting it into parts, I could edit this bitch into 2 hours as is. I don't give a rat's ass if your mom built this computer and littered the inside with post-it notes. Gimme more giant fighting robots(or humaniod beings captive under robot looking armor), and a more coherent plot! This series pissed me off more than Metal Gear Solid II as far as incessant plot twists go. Just hope some other studios get on the bandwagon with this, because lord knows we need more giant fighting robots in live action!